Study-work model proposed to localize talent

While the lack of skilled labor can still present a problem for Chinese companies looking to invest in Africa, others hope they can collaborate with local vocational schools and colleges to promote the Chinese study-work model, which they believe will benefit African governments, companies and students, especially those from poor families.

Under this model, students from vocational schools spend some of their time in factories and be paid for their work.

The potential of the demographic dividend in Africa is huge, but unlocking this potential depends on training young people to become skilled workers, says Zhang Huarong, chairman of Huajian International Group, which launched a shoe factory in Ethiopia's Eastern Industrial Park in 2012.

"Elementary education and higher education is the responsibility of the government. When it comes to vocational education, the government, education institutes and companies should work together. In Ethiopia, we would like to cooperate with more schools and give opportunities to their students to be trained in our factory," Zhang said at the Investing in Africa Forum, which was held in Addis Ababa from June 30 to July 1.

Zhang says there have been some positive experiences at his Ganzhou factory, in Jiangxi province. Students spend four hours at school and then work four hours in the factory. "We have trained a lot of people this way," says Zhang. "In Ethiopia, we can also promote this model. Students can study at school for two days or so and then work in our factory in what is left of the week.

"The government, companies and students will all be pleased with this model, as it helps the government train the kind of people that the country needs, it gives the companies a chance to get the skilled labor they want, and it can also offer students some income. Students from the poor families can use the income to pay for their tuition and living costs.

"Huajian has had a good experience with that model and I think we may be able to put it into practice by cooperating with the Ethiopian government next year, when the forum is held again."

Wei Qiangqi, chairman of Henan Kosen Enterprise Development Co, has drafted a plan for promoting the study-work model in Ethiopia and hopes to discuss it with the national government.

"In June 2014 and March this year, we made two investigation trips to Ethiopia and Tanzania because we want to invest in cable manufacturing for smart power grids.

"We found that industrial workers in the two countries are still not able to reach our expectations and requirements," says Wei.

He says that his company place its equipment in the seven schools they cooperate with in China, that students study on Monday and Tuesday and practice what they have learned in the three remaining days of the week.

In Wei's plan, teachers and students from Ethiopia will study in China under the study-work model from 2016 to 2020. Then, from 2021 to 2025, that cohort can put the model into practice in Ethiopia.

While 50 percent of the planned study-work model will be done in Ethiopia from 2021 to 2025, the number will increase to 75 percent from 2026 to 2035.

Wei says his study-work plan includes training for front-line workers, engineers and research and development personnel, with a time span of two years to four years.

With this plan, says Wei, the company can develop the talent it needs in Ethiopia.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 07/17/2015 page7)